Pakistan’s misguided actions at Iranian border continue to claim lives
Pakistan’s lopsided approach in addressing issues at its border with Iran is creating more problems than it is solving. However, the crisis is not limited to the callous attitude of Pakistani agencies here. The role played by infamous ‘non-state’ actors of the country also aggravates the problem, often ending up in armed conflicts and loss of lives. The Pakistani terrorists have exploited the long border stretch of around 900-kilometer to create safe havens in the region. Tehran maintains that anti-Iran Sunni militants use these hideouts in Pakistan’s territory to promote terrorist activities in its Sistan-Baluchistan region. It is also believed that Pakistan provides shelter to anti-Iran terror groups like Jundullah, Jaish-ul-Adl, and Harakat Ansar.
The region along the Iran-Pakistan border often gets disturbed due to the arbitrary activities of Pakistani forces. In July 2023, heavy shelling by Iranian border guards was reported from Pakistan’s Chagai district of Balochistan province. The Iranian troops reportedly resorted to firing in response to frequent attempts by the Pak side to modify/construct illegal border posts in the area. Earlier in the same month, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also reported to have raised strong objection to continued attacks on Iranian border guards by Pakistan based terrorists.
In May 2023, five Iranian border guards were killed in a clash with an unknown armed group trying to enter the country near the Pakistani border. Similarly, in Feb 2021, Iran had reported an incident in which two of its citizens were shot dead at the border with Pakistan. The Pakistani terrorists keep on violating the fencing on international border to target the Iranian forces. The Iranian border authorities have often been seen urging their Pakistani counterparts at Taftan border to enhance security measures along the border. Though the two countries announced to create a “joint rapid reaction force” after a series of militant actions a few years ago, the mechanism appears to have limited impact on ground.
Pakistan claims itself to be a victim of terrorism, a contention appearing more prominently after the peace talks collapsed between the Pak government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022. Unilaterally
calling off a cease-fire agreement, TTP announced to increase attacks on security forces.
However, it is the failure of Pakistan in addressing the problems of its vast population living along border areas with Afghanistan and Iran which is pushing the problem towards these countries. The denial of their role in complicating the issue is also making Pak forces pay dear in the border areas. A June 2023 statement by the Pakistan army stated that their two soldiers were killed when militants attacked a security post in Balochistan along the border with Iran. Earlier, casualties in Pak army were also reported in April 2023 when a routine patrol operating along the Pakistan-Iran border was attacked by militants from Iran side in the Jalgai sector of Kech district. A similar attack took place in the Panjgur district from the Iranian soil in January 2023, killing four Pak soldiers.
A major factor responsible for the volatility in border areas is the continuous flow of Afghan refugees into both countries, particularly after Taliban took over power in August 2021. For Pakistan, the prime concern is the steady rise in the activities of TTP. It was the fear of TTP’s infiltration which forced Pakistan into expediting fencing work along its borders. Similarly, management of refugees has also proved to be a challenge for Iran along with constant influx of terrorists from Pakistan. Apart from violent actions of terror groups, the incursion has resulted into rise in crime and law & order problems in Iran.
